Cold
by Bandgeek481
Summary: Someone has been murdered and their death is going to bring together a group of friends who haven't spoken since 2013. MAJOR CHARACTER DEATH
1. The Body

"The body's in here. Names Rachel Berry. Used to be some Broadway hot shot till one day she stopped. Apparently now she's a waitress."

"Okay uh who found her?'

"Her roommate, says she's a loner doesn't have any friends. Only people she can think of are the people in this here picture." The detective held out a photo. The bottom read:

**McKinley High School Glee club**

**National Champions 2012 **

Eighteen smiling faces. All the girls dressed up in gorgeous red dresses.

"It's weird but it's a start look those kids up and if they're really that close they'll haul ass back here." The other nodded.

"So I looked up those kids. A lot of them actually live in the city. We got pretty much all of them on their way here. They all seemed really really surprised. I got the feeling they'd all pretty much lost touch."

"That's good. M. E. said that the killer was brutal and stabbed her more than sixty times. Most likely personal they said."


	2. Confrence Room

Seventeen people were sitting in a conference room. Just staring at each other. Hoping to see a glimpse of the person they once knew. Most of them hadn't spoken since 2013. The detectives walked in and they felt the tension.

"Okay so we really don't know anything about Rachel and we were hoping you could help us fill in the gaps."

"Look, Officer," Santana started, "none of us have heard from Rachel since 2013, and we haven't heard anything about her since 2016. She left us all behind, for the big bright lights of the Broadway stage. I mean after that I think everything fell apart. We haven't seen each other since summer 2013. Everything was done."

"Wait you guys all knew each other from glee club, right?"

"Yeah," Finn started, "Mr. Schue was our director. At first it was just Artie, Tina, Kurt, Mercedes, and Rachel. Then I joined. She terrified me when I first met her. Overzealous and hyper active were to very nice ways to put it. The unholy trinity: Quinn, Santana, and Brittany joined. Eventually Puck, Mike, and Matt joined. Matt left the end of that year next year we got Sam. After the boys joined the unholy trinity joined and our senior year Sugar, Joe, and Rory joined the club."

"What was Rachel like?"

"Ambitious."

"Talented"

"Gorgeous."

"Confident."

"Special."

"Ego Maniac."

"Well uh we don't have any more questions right now. You guys can just stay here for a bit while we gather some things together. Feel free to catch up."

The room was tense no one knew what to say. Something had gone wrong between everyone in the group. They didn't even know each other anymore. Will was just sitting there with Emma horrified at what had happened to the family. So he did what he knew best. Assigned a lesson.

"Okay guys this week's lesson is

**Getting to Know Each Other**

It's pretty obvious that you guys are out of touch so let's fix it. Now I'm going to go around and ask you guys to tell us something about your life now. Everyone has to do it."

The kids-no adults- groaned. Will laughed feeling just an inkling of de ja vou.

"Let's start with Miss Yale, Quinn Fabray."

"Well after graduating from Yale at the top of my class I became a lawyer, and married a lawyer. He was a cheating bastard but he did give me my two beautiful girls Eloise and Madeline. We got divorced though."

"Next the always fabulous Kurt Hummel."

"Well after a year at NYADA I realized it wasn't for me and I've worked at Vogue ever since. I have no kids and I haven't really had a relationship since high school. Adam was just whatever."

"How about Miss Tina Cohen-Chang."

"I went to veterinary school. That's basically my life now. I went from hag to cat lady."

"Finn Hudson."

"I'm a music teacher now. I work about three hours from Lima. I have a daughter from a one night stand. Her mom's a drug addict who left her unnamed at the hospital. I haven't seen her since. I named the girl Harmony Barbra Hudson."

"The fierce and fabulous Santana Lopez."

"I caged danced for a really long time. Then I decided finally to open my own club. One night I was attacked and from that whole mess came my daughter Anita."

"Mike Chang."

"I'm a dance teacher at Julliard which is freaking awesome. Never married and I have no kids.

"Director Artie Abrams."

"Well I make movies, like the Hollywood kind. It's weird being in the public eye because you guys know this stuff already, well some of you. But uh about two years ago I came out of the closet."

"Miss MIT genius Brittany S. Pierce."

"I went to MIT but I didn't like it. They didn't want me to dance. So after I graduated I cut off all ties with that world and opened a dance studio. I met a guy and he was great, kind of a hick. We lived together for a real long time. Had a little girl Holly and then my twins Kelly and Henry. He killed two men in a bar fight and is in jail for a long time."

"The always fabulous Sugar Motta."

"I'm rich. I really don't see anything else of substance to tell. I own my own store. _Sugar Sweet_."

"Joe Hart

"I'm a reverend at a church. It's pretty great. I married a nice girl who died in a car wreck. She left me with a little girl, Jennifer-Mae."

"Noah "Puck" Puckerman"

"I wrote a screenplay and then I wrote few more. I got in touch with Beth and because I'm me I had a few more kids, with a few more women. A very wonderful life."

"Blaine Anderson"

"I own my own record label. About two years ago I got drunk and I had sex with the daughter of one of my father's associates. She ended up pregnant with a baby she hated. She gave birth and gave me full rights to my son Max."

"Sam Evans"

"I own my own comic book store. That's really it; well actually I came out of the closet about three or four years ago."

"Miss Mercedes Jones"

"I never got my record deal but I got my Grammy for song writing. Married a pianist and had twin baby girls Whitney and Mariah."

"I'll go next, Emma and I married after regionals as most of you know and we have four beautiful kids Emily, Amy, Annie, and Eleanor."

"Blaine," Tina started, "What record label do you own?" Blaine looked up and blushed, "Teenage Dream Records," he blushed harder and Kurt gasped a little. They all just sat in silence taking in everyone's new lives.

"We should get dinner tonight, a cheesy Italian place that has karaoke." Tina said. Everyone whipped out their phones searching for a place. Finally they found the place.


	3. Darkside

Quinn

_There's a place that I know  
It's not pretty there and few have ever gone  
If I show it to you now  
Will it make you run away_

Quinn logged off the Skype chat with her daughters. Blowing them kisses. Hearing her ex's voice in the background. She walked up to the mirror fixing her now smudged make up. Kissing the picture of Beth she kept with her at all times.

Kurt _  
Or will you stay  
Even if it hurts  
Even if I try to push you out  
Will you return?  
And remind me who I really am  
Please remind me who I really am _

Kurt looked at the picture he kept by his bedside, no matter where he was, from his junior prom. Opening the small box that contained a ring made of juicy fruit wrappers. Carefully he removed the ring and the foam beneath it. Pulling out the delicate and still gorgeous engagement ring from the box. Wiping a stray tear from his face he adjusted his bowtie and pinned on his hippo broche.

Santana_  
Everybody's got a dark side  
Do you love me?  
Can you love mine?_

Carefully she pulled her hair into a high pony and curled the long dark hair. She looked at the pictures on her wall. Some of glee club together at competitions. Then just some of her and Brittany. There was even one of Lord Tubington. Some of them were of Anita. The little girl wasn't home. She was at a friend's house.

Artie_  
Nobody's a picture perfect  
But we're worth it  
You know that we're worth it  
Will you love me?  
Even with my dark side? _

Artie opened the door to his apartment. It was bare. No personality or love. Everything he'd once known was gone. His sweaters were in boxes in a spare room. All the alcohol in the world wouldn't make him feel better. Changing out of his black button up he went to that box of old sweaters, pulling out an old white sweater with black horses on it. Taking out his contacts and putting on his black framed glasses.

Mercedes_  
Like a diamond  
From black dust  
It's hard to know  
What can become  
If you give up  
So don't give up on me  
Please remind me who I really am _

The long forgotten feeling of being a diva flooded back. It was like a wave of emotions. Gosh how she'd missed her boo. She looked at all the pictures and her Grammy. Nothing had meant anything. Her husband, he was a sweet sweet man, but there was no love there anymore. She had no one to share her happiness with.

Tina _  
Everybody's got a dark side  
Do you love me?  
Can you love mine? _

Tina walked into her apartment. She'd ended up in New York. As a vet. She'd been too scared to do anything else. All her dreams put on the back burner. All the love that she'd known. Everything was gone. She didn't know what had happened. She fixed up her hair and looked at the photo from her junior prom.

Joe

_Nobody's a picture perfect  
But we're worth it  
You know that we're worth it  
Will you love me?  
Even with my dark side?_

Joe really didn't know how to react to seeing everyone again, to seeing Quinn again. They had both been married and had kids. Was that spark still there? How would Jenny react? Or Quinn's girls.

._  
_

Finn_  
Don't run away  
Don't run away  
Just tell me that you will stay  
Promise me you will stay_

The love of his life was gone. He hadn't spoken to her in so long. She'd just disappeared. He had his beautiful daughter. Named after the love of his life. He changed from the suit he had been wearing into an old rugby shirt. He knew Santana would say something but he didn't care

Sam_  
Don't run away  
Don't run away  
Just promise me you will stay  
Promise me you will stay  
Will you love me? Ohh _

Sam's life had changed so much. Coming out of the closet that had been a big deal. Owning his own very lovely comic book store was a huge achievement. Seeing everyone brought him back to the days of living in that motel. He barely spoke to his parents anymore. His sister stayed with him sometimes.

Puck_  
Everybody's got a dark side  
Do you love me?  
Can you love mine?_

Everything was so crazy. Seeing Quinn, it wasn't like falling in love again it was just like falling. Every time that he saw Beth it reminded him of Quinn. But seeing Quinn was something all new. It was crazy to think how far they'd all come. He had five more kids. Six kids and he was still some sex shark.

Sugar_  
Nobody's a picture perfect  
But we're worth it  
You know that we're worth it  
Will you love me?  
Even with my dark side? _

__It was weird seeing the people who had created her. She was a defined person beforehand, true. They made her realize her dream. Told her it was perfectly okay to be herself. That's what her store was.

All_  
Don't run away  
Don't run away_

Don't run away  
Promise you'll stay 


	4. Dinner

The hostess sat them done at their table. Will had decided not to go to the dinner so that the kids could just relax and catch up. It was still pretty tense. Without Rachel there was no fire in the group. No leader. Eventually Santana was sick of the pretending to look at the menu. "Everyone I want to see pictures of your kids. Middle of the table we know you have them, out!" everyone pulled out their phones.

The waitress came by. She was a bit taken aback by the throwing around of phones. "Can I get you guys something to drink? Santana once again took charge, "A pitcher of diet coke, and a pitcher of ice tea, a pitcher of coke, and how about two bottles of champagne. And two rounds of shots to loosen everybody up."

"Okay Quinn which little angel is which." Quinn laughed and pointed at the phone screen. "Left is Madeline she's six. On the right is Eloise who's four." Two blond little angels smiling into the camera. Santana held out her phone with a picture of Anita. "You wouldn't believe how timid she is, I just don't know how she's mine." Brittany smiled and reached out for the phone. "She is too cute, Tanie!" Santana smiled the smile everyone knew she reserved for Brittany.

The waitress came by with all the drinks. Handing them the first round of shots. "Aye, everyone drink up." They all took the first shot. It burned their throats, Puck and Santana took it with ease. "Finn let's see your little angel. Finn held out a picture. She was a pretty girl with big brown eyes. Her nose was just like Rachel's. She was wearing a pink sweater with a gold star on it. "Jesus Finn did you sleep with Rachel's look alike." Finn put his head down. "OH MY GOD FINN, THAT KID IS RACHEL'S. WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED?" Finn looked up, "she and I, we just did it. A while later she called me to New York. When I came I met her in a hospital. She walked out of this room and handed me a blank birth certificate and pointed me down the hall. She kissed me one last time and I never saw her again. Attached to the certificate was a form where she gave up all parental rights." No one really knew what to say.

Mercedes looked up, "I'd like to meet her, and I think we all would." Kurt wiped the tears from his eyes, "My niece is Rachel Berry's daughter. You never told me? All the time that I've spent with that little girl AND YOU NEVER TOLD ME?" Finn looked up at Kurt crying, "I'm sorry."

"Okay this is intense and I want to see more kids. So Brit-Brit show me your little angels. "Okay so this is Holly and she's four." Santana looked at the phone, a smiling little blond girl with two long braids. "These are the twins, they're two." The two little kids were adorable. Their hair was a bit darker than Brittany's her ex-boyfriends she assumed. Both of them had Brittany's smile and energy, they could tell that just from their pictures.

Joe handed his phone to the group. She was a tiny girl with a very shy smile and long dark braids. "She's gorgeous, Joe." Quinn stated, her voice was breathy and awestruck. Blaine handed his phone off to Kurt. His face melted at the sweet little boy. His hair was dark and intensely curly. Big brown eyes made Kurt fall in love. He was all Blaine. Everyone saw it. It was just so obvious that those two were still in love. Mercedes pulled out her phone. "There are my little divas Whitney and Mariah." Two beautiful little girls in velvet red dresses with all of Mercedes sass evident in a simple photo. Puck held out his phone, "From left to right are Jordyn, Noah Jr., Leanne, Alicia, and Brendan."

The waitress came by with a second round of shots. "Are you all ready to order?" Santana looked at everyone. "Two pizzas, a bowl like a big one of spaghetti, basket of breadsticks, and bowl of chicken alfredo." The waitress nodded and scurried to the kitchen.

"It's honestly a bit sad that someone dying was what it took to bring us all together." Everyone nodded in agreement with Mercedes. The restaurant worker went up to the stage. "It's open mike night here so everyone let's have some fun!" Blaine was the first person up. He whispered to the pianist who moved. Blaine sat down and started playing a song he knew so well.

Blaine

_You think I'm pretty without any make-up on  
You think I'm funny when I tell the punch line wrong  
I know you get me, so I let my walls come down, down_

It was slow almost like the last time he performed for Kurt. It wasn't as heavy, no guilt to his words, just tenderness, and a loving tone to it.  
_  
Before you met me, I was alright  
But things were kinda heavy, you brought me to life  
Now every February you'll be my valentine, valentine_

Kurt was sitting there in shock. He was crying, a love almost seemed to be rekindled. They watched as he got up.  
_  
Let's go all the way tonight  
No regrets, just love  
We can dance until we die  
You and I, we'll be young forever_

Kurt and Blaine  
_You make me feel like I'm living a teenage dream  
The way you turn me on, I can't sleep  
Let's runaway and don't ever look back  
Don't ever look back_

My heart stops when you look at me  
Just one touch, now baby I believe  
This is real, so take a chance  
And don't ever look back, don't ever look back

We drove to Cali and got drunk on the beach  
Got a motel and built a fort out of sheets  
I finally found you, my missing puzzle piece  
I'm complete

Let's go all the way tonight  
No regrets, just love  
We can dance until we die  
You and I, we'll be young forever

You make me feel like I'm living a teenage dream  
The way you turn me on, I can't sleep  
Let's runaway and don't ever look back  
Don't ever look back

My heart stops when you look at me  
Just one touch, now baby I believe  
This is real, so take a chance  
And don't ever look back, don't ever look back

I'm a get your heart racing in my skin-tight jeans  
Be your teenage dream tonight  
Let you put your hands on me in my skin-tight jeans  
Be your teenage dream tonight

You make me feel like I'm living a teenage dream  
The way you turn me on, I can't sleep  
Let's runaway and don't ever look back  
Don't ever look back

My heart stops when you look at me  
Just one touch, now baby I believe  
This is real, so take a chance  
And don't ever look back, don't ever look back

I'm a get your heart racing in my skin-tight jeans  
Be your teenage dream tonight  
Let you put your hands on me in my skin-tight jeans  
Be your teenage dream tonight

The two boys smiled at each other. Blaine got up from the piano and on his way back to his seat he felt the thin hand he knew so well in his. The two boys sat down just as the food came. They ate and as they did sparks flew. Love was rekindled and as they left a song came on the restaurants stereo.

All   
Did you forget  
That I was even alive?  
Did you forget  
Everything we ever had?  
Did you forget?  
Did you forget  
About me?

Kurt/ Blaine  
_Did you regret (did you regret)  
Ever standing by my side  
Did you forget (did you forget)  
What we were feeling inside?_

Kurt hailed a taxi and pulled Blaine into it with him._  
_

Finn 

_Now I'm left to forget  
About us_

Finn walked to his hotel unfolding the picture of Rachel he kept in his pocket at all times.

Mike/Tina   
_But somewhere we went wrong  
We were once so strong  
Our love is like a song  
You can't forget it_

Mike and Tina jumped into a cab once they were around the corner the two were hot and heavy teenagers.

Brittany/Santana  
_So now I guess  
This is where we have to stand  
Did you regret  
Ever holding my hand?_

The two girls ran down the street holding hands. Running right to the club Santana owned, **Brittana**. Santana was ready for some sweet sweet lady kisses.

Sugar 

_Never again  
Please don't forget  
Don't forget_

Sugar walked to her hotel and texted the one person who hadn't been able to just run to New York. The love of her life.

Quinn/Joe   
_We had it all  
We were just about to fall  
Even more in love  
Than we were before  
I won't forget  
I won't forget  
About us_

Quinn and Joe ran to their hotel hand in hand. The rain started to fall as they ran Quinn's dress spinning in the wind.

Mercedes

_But somewhere we went wrong  
We were once so strong  
Our love is like a song  
You can't forget it_

She got into her cab and dialed a number on her phone, it had to be done.

Sam/Artie  
_Somewhere we went wrong  
We were once so strong  
Our love is like a song  
You can't forget it  
At all_

The two boys who had once been best friends, even spending a scandalous summer before college as lovers. Now they were heading to Artie's New York flat in a romantic rain.

Puck  
_And at last  
All the pictures have been burned  
And all the past  
Is just a lesson that we've learned  
I won't forget  
Please don't forget us_

He scrolled through all the pictures on his phone of all his sweet little kids. He really needed to be better.

All 

_Somewhere we went wrong  
Our love is like a song  
But you won't sing along  
You've forgotten  
About us_

Kurt pulled Blaine into his apartment by the bowtie. Reminiscent of Will and Emma's not-wedding.

Finn picked up his phone and called two men who had just lost their only daughter, who he knew would love to see her child.

Mike and Tina were like teenagers again. They were hot and heavy in Tina's hotel room.

Brittany and Santana ran to Santana's private back room. Where they made sweet lady kisses all night long.

Sugar listened as the phone rang. "Hey Rory, it's Sugar. I love you."

Quinn and Joe kissed in the gentle rain. Quinn laughed the laugh they all knew so well and Joe smiled that sweet smile. Noses touching in the damp air.

Mercedes called her husband and lord she felt so bad when he answered that phone so happy to hear from her. When he asked what was wrong she hated herself for telling the truth. "I'm filing for divorce."

Sam and Artie kissed as they entered his apartment and instead of having some hot passionate sex Artie led Sam to the couch and he popped in Avatar. Transferring onto the couch with Sam pulling him into his lap. Nothing either boy would regret.

Puck called his brother. He'd been so caught up in Hollywood living he really forgot what family meant._  
_


	5. Dead

The next morning they had been asked to come into the police station.

Kurt and Blaine woke up next to each other tangled in sheets. Blaine turned to Kurt smiling. "Tell me now we aren't back together. Kurt smiled and got out of bed. "When I was seventeen this boy with puppy eyes and an extreme love for bowties gave me a promise ring out of gum wrappers. Then when I was nineteen he proposed, I said yes but something went wrong. Still have both rings and I keep this picture by my bed. No matter what country I'm in. I have always been so in love with this puppy eyed boy." Blaine smiled and got out of bed walking over to where Kurt was watching as Kurt opened the little black box with the promise ring. Then he moved the foam and showed him the beautiful engagement ring. Blaine picked it up. "Good thing that puppy eyed boy loves you too." Blaine picked up the ring and slid it onto Kurt's thin pale finger.

Finn looked at the picture of Rachel from his pocket. Just her smiling and confident. She was a dazzling beauty. Now he was going to listen to cops talk about her death.

Mike and Tina woke up tangled in each other. The look in their faces were almost like, was this a mistake? The two got up and Tina pulled on one of Mike's t-shirt. Quickly running to her closet and grabbing jeans and tennis shoes. She walked back into Mike's room and kissed him. "We have to go to the station now."

Brittany and Santana woke up on a couch. They both had the slightest sent of tequila on them. The two girls got up and Santana started a pot of strong black coffee. She showed Brittany to her secret little closet in the back room. The two girls got dressed and drank their coffee before heading to the station.

Sugar had a new lease on life; she had admitted her love to the love of her life. That morning she woke up. She put on jeans and a simple black sweater. Braiding her hair carefully down her back.

"Joe this is scandalous, you're a reverend. And I'm a mother." Joe picked Quinn up and spun her around. "You're a gorgeous young career woman who was cheated on and is now divorced. And I'm a reverend who was cheated on by a now dead wife." The two smiled and danced around the room.

Mercedes woke up feeling like a new woman. She was liberated. Getting herself out of a bad marriage. It was something that she had wanted to do for a very long time. Afraid of losing the feeling of security and love that she held so dear. One that was never actually there in the first place.

Sam and Artie woke up in each other's arms. Sam kissed Artie's hair and scooped him up putting him into his chair. "Can I borrow something to wear?" Artie smiled and nodded. I have some sweaters in the backroom." Sam's face contorted. "There's also some super hero t-shirts back there." Sam smiled bouncing on his heels. "Grab me a sweater while you're back there, pleeeassse."

Puck woke up really proud of himself. His brother had married Marley a few years back and soon after had a little girl, Sophia. She had just found out that she was expecting again. He hated having gotten out of touch with his family. And that simple call made a difference.

The group gathered at the station. "Okay so what can you guys really tell me about the last fourteen years?"

"Summer 2013 she was cast as Fanny Brice and she played that role till about May/June 2016. January 2016 she had sex with Finn and early October she had a baby girl. Gave up all rights to Finn and no one has heard from her since." Kurt finished and Santana added something that needed to be said.

"Truth is Rachel's been dead for a long time."

"W-What do you mean?"

"Performing was Rachel's life. Everything about her life was all about one goal. Becoming the next Barbra Streisand. Having a baby, through her off. We all knew Rachel. She would never have an abortion but it was definitely a career ender. She didn't want the baby but wasn't going to kill it. And we all know Finn. He would most definitely want the baby. He's Finn and he's respectable. That killed her, leaving the baby. We all kind of know that. She's been dead for a long time. Ten years. This might have been the best thing that happened. I don't know."

The detective walked out of the conference room and back into the squad room. "I don't think any of them did it. They care too much. And hadn't seen her in years."


End file.
